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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25104562">The One Where They Meet in a Bar Fight</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/indimitable/pseuds/indimitable'>indimitable</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alcohol, F/M, It's not explicit at all Lily's just a bit horny, Marlene McKinnon (mentioned) - Freeform, Sirius Black (mentioned) - Freeform, accidental punching, meet cute</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 06:55:05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,909</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25104562</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/indimitable/pseuds/indimitable</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Lily stumbles out of the girls' bathroom and into a bar fight, James accidentally punches her in the face, and it slowly goes from "wow he's a jerk" to "wow he's cute."</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>James Potter/Lily Evans Potter</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>35</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The One Where They Meet in a Bar Fight</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Look, I’m really sorr-” </p><p>“If you apologize to me one more time, I will punch you in the face again and I will not be sorry about it this time,” Lily cut the dickwad off, snatching the frozen bag of peas he was holding and pressing it to her face. He held up his hands and took a step back with his eyes wide, immediately tripping over the grocery store curb. </p><p>Lily rolled her eyes and patted the ground next to her, and he sat down just out of punching distance. Maybe he did have a couple brain cells after all.</p><p>“I don’t suppose I could have a turn with that?” He asked after a minute, and she turned to frown at him. “It’s just that you did punch me rather hard, and I don’t really want a bruise.”</p><p>“You’re barely bruising, pretty boy,” she scoffed, turning her eyes away from him quickly as her own words remind her just how pretty he is. Not the thing to focus on right now. “You’ll survive, and maybe it’ll serve as a lesson to not punch people.”</p><p>“Well, you’re not the person I meant to punch,” he tried to defend himself, and she laughed shortly. </p><p>“Yeah, great defense,” Lily grumbled, pressing her fingers gingerly against the bruise on her cheek and deciding to keep the peas for a few more minutes. “Who gets into a bar fight, anyways?”</p><p>“He was calling Sirius names, I had to defend his honor,” he explained, making a halfhearted attempt to swipe the bag of peas from her. She made a fullhearted attempt to kick him in the shins, and he scowled at her. “Cripes, you’re violent.”</p><p>“Again, I’m not the one getting in bar fights out here,” she shot back. “Why couldn’t your Sirius defend his own honor?” </p><p>“He did, that’s why he’s in the drunk tank,” he reminded her. “And don’t ever let him hear you say he belongs to anyone.” There’s a quick flash of what must be pride on his face, she wants to hate it somehow can’t </p><p>“In my defense, I have a head injury,” Lily shrugged. “And also rather a lot of alcohol in my system.” He laughed, then winced as the laugh stretched the skin over his reddening cheekbone. She glanced over at him and felt just a little sorry when she saw his bruise in the streetlight; it looked almost worse than hers.</p><p>“So do you have a name, or do you only give that out to people who didn’t accidentally punch you in the face?” He asked, and she can feel how hard he’s looking at her. It makes her feel like she should be wearing more clothes somehow, it’s the sort of look that seems designed for a bedroom, and she tugged on the strap of her dress absentmindedly as though it’ll hide the flush forming on her face. </p><p>“Lily Evans,” she answered, passing him the bag of peas with a sigh. “Do people who punched you back on instinct get to know your name?”</p><p>“James Potter,” he responded, catching the peas with an agility that she would not have expected given how shitty his punch was. He pressed them to his face and sighed in relief. “You’ve got a damn good right hook,” he said with a roguish grin, and she wondered for a moment if he always hit on people by calling them violent.</p><p>“Wish I could say the same,” she responded with a brief laugh. “Seriously, did you pull back a little because you realized at the last second I was in the way or was that actually your punch?” </p><p>James had the decency to look embarrassed, his cheeks reddening beyond the bruise. “I am sorry, again, about that. I tried to pull back when you got in the way, but it was a bit too late with the momentum I’d built up. I guess fighting in front of the bathroom’s not too smart when drunk girls are stumbling in and out of it.”</p><p>“Oi, I’m not that drunk,” she retorted, instantly proving herself wrong when she leaned backwards and lost her balance. James quickly leaned forward to steady her, and Lily realized exactly how much she’d had to drink when she suddenly found herself against his very firm chest with very little inclination to move.</p><p>“Alright, Evans?” He sounded concerned, and his voice is deep enough that she can feel the rumble against her cheek, and he has to be the only person that leaves a bar fight somehow smelling good, and she really should be sitting up now but she can’t quite bring herself to.</p><p>“Yeah, I’m fine,” Lily said after what was probably too long. “Thanks for grabbing me.”</p><p>“Oh, er, yeah,” he responded, perhaps also realizing their sudden proximity or the fact that she likely smelled a lot like whiskey, and he let go of her quickly. She could still feel the heat of his hands on her hips for several moments after, and they looked at each other in the flickering warmth of the streetlight.</p><p>A buzzing started from Lily’s pocket, and she wondered if it would turn off if she kissed James.</p><p>“Are you going to get that?” He asked, and she frowned before realizing it was her phone going off. She nodded, pulling out her phone to find a text from Marlene.</p><p>marls: where u at?? just got to bar<br/>lily: got in a bar fight<br/>marls: haha sorry WHAT<br/>lily: walked out of bathroom and into bar fight<br/>lily: hot guy punched me in the face on accident<br/>lily: I punched him back dw<br/>marls: that was not really going to be my concern<br/>marls: jesus lily. guess I’m going home then without a drinking partner?<br/>lily: I’ll uber home later, it’s fine<br/>lily: love u!</p><p>Lily looked up from her too-bright phone screen, her eyes taking a moment to adjust in the darkness of the night. James was watching her, but cut his eyes away quickly like he’d been caught doing something he wasn’t supposed to be. He ran a hand through his hair with a nervous grin.</p><p>“So, ah, I suppose I should probably get home and get some sleep so I can bail Sirius out in the morning,” he pointed out, and she had a sudden urge to tell him to stay up all night with her right here on the curb outside the grocery store with a frozen bag of peas to pass between their bruises.</p><p>But she said “yeah, right, I should get home too, my roommate will be worried,” and nodded like she didn’t want to jump his bones.</p><p>“Let me call you a lift, it’s the least I can do,” James offered, and she accepted with a shrug. He pulled out his phone, and she leaned forward to snatch the bag of peas, although she was pretty sure it wouldn’t help at this point and she mostly just wanted something to do with her hands before they ended up on him somehow. </p><p>“Hang on, don’t you need my address?” Lily asked, a moment after it occurred to her that rideshare apps generally needed a location. “Are you just trying to get me somewhere and murder me?”</p><p>“You caught me,” James winked at her, then chuckled when she rolled her eyes. “Nah, I’m calling my friend Remus, he’s just getting off the night shift and was planning on picking up me and Sirius if we got too plastered anyways.”</p><p>“Oh, well, if it isn’t too much trouble,” Lily said. “I wouldn’t want to impose.” She very much wanted to, but that was a different conversation.</p><p>“See, he’s here already, the hospital was close,” James pointed to fast-approaching headlights in the distance. “And we should probably leave the Aldi’s parking lot before someone comes to kick us out.”</p><p>“Fair,” Lily shrugged, squinting in the lights as a rather beat-up sedan pulled up. A tawny head poked out of the driver’s window, sending a look at James that was equal parts amusement and reproachfulness.</p><p>“What’s my idiot boyfriend got himself into this time?” Remus asked, before spotting Lily and frowning. “What, did you trade him in?”</p><p>“This is Lily, and I’ll thank you to save the arsery for me and Sirius,” James retorted. “I kind of, er, accidentally punched her in the face.” There’s a beat of silence, and then the door opens and Remus gets out. He towers over Lily even when she stands up to meet him, and there’s an angry scar across his cheek, but he’s quite possibly the least intimidating boy Lily’s ever met, and she finds herself very much wanting to be his friend. </p><p>“I hope he didn’t hurt you,” he frowned, looking her over critically. He turned to James, noticing the identical bruise on his cheek, and grinned when Lily added “No, don’t worry, I got him back.”</p><p>“Lily, where can we drop you off?” James asked, opening the passenger door for her before sliding into the backseat. Remus shook his head with a chuckle and climbed into the driver’s seat, handing over his phone with Google Maps open. </p><p>“I’m just a few minutes away from here, actually,” she told the boys as she took the phone and typed in her flat’s address. The Aldi’s that James had taken her to for frozen peas was only a block away from the bar, which was her and Marlene’s favorite specifically because of the proximity to their place. “Probably could’ve walked and not troubled you.”</p><p>“We are gentlemen, Lily, don’t be ridiculous,” James responded, putting on a posh accent that somehow suited him; perhaps everything he did just suited him? “I did open your door for you, after all.”</p><p>“Ah yes, opening doors and buying ice packs for those you assaulted is the height of chivalry,” Lily snickered, then smirked at his wounded expression in the mirror. “Alright, alright, I’m sure you’re very gentlemanly.”</p><p>“One day, I will prove my chivalry,” he vowed, and he looked serious enough that Lily can’t quite laugh at him this time. He brightened after a moment, though, reaching through the seats with an excited-puppy look that is absolutely adorable. “Here, give me your phone.” </p><p>Lily looked at Remus, who shrugged, and she passed her phone back to James with the thought that he can’t really do anything worse than punching her in the face. He tapped at it for a moment, and Lily looked up to find that they’re already pulling up outside her building. </p><p>“You all set here, Lily? I can walk you in if you’d like,” Remus offered, and she smiled at him.</p><p>“I should be fine, but that’s really sweet,” Lily responded. “Thank you again for the ride, and I hope everything turns out fine with Sirius?”</p><p>“Eh, it’s not his first time in the drunk tank,” Remus sighed. “We’ll bail him out in the morning, when this one’s less drunk. Going to give her phone back soon so she can get to sleep, James?”</p><p>Lily took her phone back from a suddenly sheepish James and waved the boys goodbye, heading into her building with a yawn. She didn’t even think to check her phone until she was in the elevator, where it opened to her calendar. He’d been in the process of editing the event “Date with Chivalrous Gentleman Sir James Potter”, set for next Friday night with his phone number in the notes and “timing flexible.”</p>
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